[PS2] Xenosaga III: Also Sprach Zarathustra

Dont compare it to Final Fantasy XII, something this great doesnt need to be compared with something crappy.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

.....Wow.

Anyway, more pluses.

+ The dialogue system for NPCs. Now you don't have to click every character to get a dialogue window. Instead they start talking as you pass by, and if you want to hear more information, just press Square.

This is a great idea, and it could be further implemented for next-gen RPGs by having NPCs talk with realtime voicechat. I hope to see this feature become a standard for future games.

+ Towns are finally, finally, finally interesting and bustling with effects (speeding trains).

+ I don't believe it....the game has a cutscene viewer. Fans have been requesting this since the first game, but I thought Namco would never actually listen (at least for NA editions).

+ A legitimate reason for Shion leaving Vector.

- More talking heads. It works fine for a sprite-based game like Xenogears, but these are detailed 3D models with a full range of expressions. Take the first conversation involving Togashi and the other Vector members. In the original game, the standard dialogue was enhanced with the amusing expressions and manerisms of the characters. But now it's just typical RPG dialogue.

Also, Margulis' scar shifts from his right eye to his left according to the position of his portrait. Lame.

- I wish the whole "Gnosis Terrorism" story wasn't limited to some online story (and in Japanese). It would've served better as a bonus movie or something. Too many details (such as the mysterious Realien) demanded more visual data.

I was speaking idiomatically.

+ Towns are finally, finally, finally interesting and bustling with effects (speeding trains).

True, i really loved First District, My only complain for now is the fact that its still feels like a dungeon crawler, everytime a good story unfolds you'll be thrown on a dungeon.

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I only have one question for this game :
Does it have any replay value? And is the replay value worthwhile or just a bunch of pointlessness?

FELIPE NO

Am I the only one feeling a little remorseful about this being the last game in the series? Xenogears was my favorite game of all time and I remember how upset I was when I found out about Disc 2. What happened to Xenosaga was even worse, prematurely ending the series by three episodes. But at least they did a good job on this last one. There doesn't seem to be much talk about the Episode 3 so I guess it didn't sell many copies. We can thank Episode 2 for that. We probably won't see anymore games except for the already existing prequals.

Anyway, today I finished up all the optional stuff, Omega, Erde Kaiser, 100% database, swimsuits etc. For some reason I want to keep playing but theres nothing left to do besides reading the database. I hate it when you only get to fight optional bosses once and they leave you with some uber item but nothing worth using it on. I really wish developers would stop with the one time only sidequests. It's a shame X3 doesn't have a New Game+ feature.

Also, Xenosaga makes Final Fantasy look like a fairy tale. Trying to compare the two is like comparing The Bible with a coloring book.

Quote:

I only have one question for this game :
Does it have any replay value? And is the replay value worthwhile or just a bunch of pointlessness?

Since you can already watch all the cutscenes, go back to any dungeon without replaying the game, and theres only a few missible items [not including the ones you have to steal from bosses], the replay value is pretty low. Unless you want to revisit certain cities that won't be accessable later in the game. I'm going to replay it because I missed a chain of sidequests which unlocks better items in the shops [skill upgrades etc], I'm also missing one key item. But the first play through is a good enough reason to buy the game.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Is it just me or is HaKox the greatest RPG minigame ever?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Honestly, I don't like HaKox all that much. However, one of the levels -- and perhaps all of them -- had music from Episode 2 playing in the background.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Kuhazan

I only have one question for this game :
Does it have any replay value? And is the replay value worthwhile or just a bunch of pointlessness?

*sighs* This' why I get mad. And yes, it really has good replay value. The whole game got good reviews.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Spoiler:

The thing about this game that I thought sucks, is how it ended in such a cliff hanger. For the first time, the game actually tied itself to Xenogears in a big way, but now the series is over apparantly. I'm more excited about Xenosaga 4 way more then any other Xenosaga game, but there won't even be a Xenosaga 4.

The game could have been longer too. 25 hours is very short.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Zeta26

*sighs* This' why I get mad. And yes, it really has good replay value. The whole game got good reviews.

The only replay value this game has is watching cutscenes with swimsuits on. This' why I get mad. There's absolutely no reason to play the game over, since you can watch the cutscenes with the viewer thing.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well, I thought Namco/Bandai said they MIGHT continue the series, should Xeno3 sell well and get fan praise or something. They just said "We'll see". I'd personally like to see it continue on the PS3, the game's beauty would be portrayed 10 times better.

I loved the VAs for this game, I'm glad they brought Shion and KOS-MOS's Xeno1 VAs back. The guy who played chaos in Xeno2 is back, I hated his voice in Xeno2 but this time he is quite good, along with MOMO (who is also voiced my her Xeno2 actress -who I wasn't all that impressed with in Xeno2, but the actors seem to have improved their skills since then). The story is top notch,

Spoiler:

and the scene right before you fight the Red Testament's second form is just heart-wrenching!

Yuki Kaijura's music is also amazing, not quite Yasunori Mitsuda amazing, but it comes pretty close. Very dramatic and epic in some places. I've also come to love the in-game tracks since I've played the game (I'm at the last boss btw, w00t!), and I'm bummed that no one has ripped a higher quality version (like that of Xeno2's gamerip, which was freakin' amazing) of them.

In all of the non text/voice cutscenes, the visuals are great...but it would have been nicer if they used those as the in-game graphics and a better engine for cutscenes, like they did in Xeno1 and 2.

Overall, amazing game. Doesn't seem like it has too much replay value unless you loved it so much you just want to play it again, but DEFINATELY worth the buy.

P.S.

Spoiler:

Just wondering, KOS-MOS is Mary Magdalene, chaos seems to be Jesus (could be wrong there but "Yeshua" is, I think, Aramaic for "Christ" or something), and Wilhelm seems to be...Satan? If anyone knows, let me know.

P.S.S.

Spoiler:

I could use some tips on smashing Zarathustra, my front line is Jin, chaos, and KOS-MOS and Jin is level 57, chaos is level 56, and KOS-MOS is level 55. It gets challenging when he activates Chaos and becomes immune to physical attacks, and none of my guys are major magic users (Jr. has all the Beam and Fire spells but I haven't used him since the end of disc 1, he just can't hold up to damage as well as my front liners.

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chaos:

I don't think chaos is Jesus, since he's obviously standing, watching Jesus in one of the few flashback scenes. I don't really know what he could be, though.

As for the final boss, just cast Best Ally or that other auto-revive spell and he should be easy.

FELIPE NO

regarding chaos:

From the Database: The form of Anima, having assumed human shape and consciousness.

"He is the human incarnation of Anima, a power derived from the collective unconscious and present since the beginning of the universe in this dimension. His powers act as a failsafe for all of dimensional space.

As the release of his powers would mean the destruction of dimensional space, his powers were divided up into parts by his antithesis, Mary Magdalene (Animus) in the distant past.

chaos regained his former powers through KOS-MOS's awakening, and left the possibility of a future in the hands of Abel-- U-DO that chose to remain in this lower dimension. chaos unleashed the power of Anima, performing a dimensional shift with Nephilim, the recipient of Mary's power, leading the consciousness of mankind to Lost Jerusalem."

So in other words, he's the harbinger of the end of the world once humanity resonates with the will of self-destruction. Wilhelm chose to avert this by keeping the universe in a cycle of eternal recurrance. But the heroes defy this, instead creating a rebirth for the members of humanity that resonated with this will (gnosis), which goes on to become Xenogears' world.

regarding Wilhelm:

I don't think he's a reference to satan, but instead is a long-lasting member of humanity that chooses to defy fate/god. He was jenseits von gut und bose, beyond good and evil, and had his own agenda, der wille zur macht, the will to power, and the means for attempting to save the world from destruction, zarathustra.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I see, makes sense

Spoiler:

Oh ya, forgot that flashback with Jesus preaching to the crowd (with chaos and Mary)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Motsy

Is it just me or is HaKox the greatest RPG minigame ever?

....no :P I hated it and still havent beat the second stage ;/:biggrin:

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Blitzball gets my vote for best minigame. Followed by the Fairy Colony system from the Breath of Fire series. HaKox reminds me of The Sims.

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Shenmue's multiple mini-games that were made up of gambling, playing classic Sega games and Lucky Hit wins for me... and to this day Shenmue 1 and 2 are my most overplayed RPG styled games... Star Ocean : Till the end of Time as a close second.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Quote:

Yuki Kaijura's music is also amazing, not quite Yasunori Mitsuda amazing, but it comes pretty close.

Seconded. Kaijura can never do any wrong, but this time they let her compose the entire soundtrack. As a result, this is probably the best XS soundtrack of the three, even though I did find Mitsuda's biblical music more fitting.

The one scene that really stood out thanks to the music so far is the first conversation with chaos and Nephilim. They play this really haunting violin piece that makes things very foreboding, a sign that the end is coming.

Anyway, it's been a good 4 hours since the first dungeon, but now I finally made it to the second dungeon. Looks like they still have a problem balancing the cutscene to gameplay ratio. By a lot.

Just like that you have over 5 party members in your disposal. On the plus side, they all have some really cool special moves (favorite goes to Ziggy's enormous handcannon; looks like something the Major used in GITS).

I also found a more major negative than the talking heads; MOMO's role, or lack of, so far. Her prescence so far is so unimportant she might as well not be there. Even when Shion reunites with all the other characters for the first time, MOMO is the ONLY one who doesn't say anything. Would it have been too much to toss in a "Hi, Shion!"?

It's good that Shion is finally getting some real development (especially with Allen), but this was never just her story; leaving characters like MOMO with no story, or even dialogue in the final story is just unforgivable.

"Miyuki! You screwed up again, didn't you!?"

So mean.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I just remembered something regarding censorship.

Spoiler:

Was the first battle between KOS-MOS and T-Elos edited? At the end of the fight, T-Elos has a scar on her face but it never showed where it came from. It was probably KOS-MOS' gatlin gun attack but I wonder if there was actually blood in that scene. While I was playing the game I disregarded it and figured I'd find out later, to avoid spoilers.

YouTube doesn't have any out takes from the Japanese version, all I see is a bunch of game trailers.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Another part I was wondering around censorship...

from chapter 8:

is when Yuriev shoots Mary. It mainly just makes a sound, but it isn't clear how badly she's wounded. At the time I was sad because I thought he killed her, but then she recovered and was instead mainly emotionally traumatized.

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Originally Posted by SOLDIER

I also found a more major negative than the talking heads; MOMO's role, or lack of, so far. Her prescence so far is so unimportant she might as well not be there. Even when Shion reunites with all the other characters for the first time, MOMO is the ONLY one who doesn't say anything. Would it have been too much to toss in a "Hi, Shion!"?

It's good that Shion is finally getting some real development (especially with Allen), but this was never just her story; leaving characters like MOMO with no story, or even dialogue in the final story is just unforgivable.

Uh, MOMO (and Jr.) were pretty much the focus of things for the first two episodes. I'm glad their finally taking a backseat and Shion, KOS-MOS and Ziggy are taking center stage.

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So, I'm gonna burn a rented copy of this today. Since I didn't play Xenosaga 2, will I still be able to 'enjoy' numero 3? I figure I can just read up on some story FAQs on Gamefaqs or something.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Motsy

Uh, MOMO (and Jr.) were pretty much the focus of things for the first two episodes. I'm glad their finally taking a backseat and Shion, KOS-MOS and Ziggy are taking center stage.

While it's good to hear Ziggy will get some screentime, I still don't approve with MOMO's lack of a role here. I'm not saying she needed to be the center stage, but they could at least make an effort to remind us she's still in the party.

This problem goes back to Xenogears (and most RPGs in general). You shouldn't have to subtract one character's screentime to focus on another. You need to balance them all out.

How ya doing, buddy?

Guest: It was from the gatling gun attack

Cobalt: that scene wasn't censored, it's the same in the JP version, only the blood was edited out in the crappiest way possible.

Kurado: Reading the database will get you fully up to date of all the events that happened in the previous games, and if you still think that you are in the dark about certain things, blue laguna has all the cutscenes from episode II.

I was rather glad that Momo didn't get enough attention, since her story was pretty much ended in the previous games. She still gets one scene in the first disc, but after that there isn't a lot of room to develop her character even more, unless you want her going into emo-mode or something. Soldier, continue the bloody game before making your judgements will ya?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

This is quite easily the best RPG I've played in 10 years, and you know when was the last. I am so addicted to this game, I play it everyday...all day. A bit dissappointing that this only came about because there was a lot of complaints about episode II.

How ya doing, buddy?